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(No Model.)

J. E. GILLILAND & I. A. NEVILL. TRACE CARRIER.

No. 555,900. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

wimaazlzamz NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. GILLILAND AND FRANCIS A. NEVILL, OF MEREDOSIA, ILLINOIS; SAIDGILLILAND ASSIGNOR TO SAID NEVILL.

TRACE-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,900, dated March 3,1896. Application filed July 3, 1895. Serial No. 554,883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN E. GILLILAND and FRANCIS A. NEvILL, citizensof the United States, residing at Meredosia, in the county of Morgan andState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Trace-Carrier, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The purpose of the present invention is the construction of atrace-carrier which will obviate the permanent attachment thereto of thehip-straps and admit of the said hipstraps being provided in a singlelength and of their ready attachment and detachment for any requiredpurpose.

A further object of the invention is to devise a trace-carrier whichwill prevent the accidental disengagement of the traces when the horseis trotting, and which in its construction will be compact, light, andadmit of the cockeyes being quickly connected with or detached from theengaging provisions of the device.

Other objects and advantages will become manifest as the nature of theinvention is understood from the following description and the drawingsattached, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a lilELCG-Ctl rierconstructed in accordance with the present invention and showing thehip-straps and a trace in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveviewof the trace-carrier as it will appear when divested of allconnecting-straps and traces. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line X Xof Fig. 1, showing one of the dogs folded by the dot-ted lines.

The frame comprises two juxtaposed rings 1, a rear loop, 2, a frontbox-loop, 3, a forward loop, 4:, vertically-extending guards 5, and oppositely-disposed overhanging arms 6. These parts are integrally formed,preferably by casting, and are suflicientlylight so as to give to thecompleted device a neat and graceful appearance. The vertical guards 5are disposed in parallel relation and are arranged the one in front ofand the other in the rear of the rings 1 and curve slightly in theirlength outwardly in opposite directions, and in addition to protectingthe hip-straps and crupper from injurious contact with the cockeyes ofthe traces they also serve to strengthen and brace the device and admitof the frame being made much lighter than would be pos sible if the saidguards were dispensed with.

A stud or projection 7 extends vertically from the central bar of thebox-loop and is intended to pass through an opening in the hip-strap 8and retain the latter in proper position. The forward loop, 4, islocated at the front end of the said central bar, 9, and has connectionby means of side bars, 10, with the front guard 5, and these bars 9 and10 form the main portion of the box-loop 8.

The overhanging arms 6 are supported upon the outer ends of the rings 1,and their horizontal portions extend inwardly and have vertical notchesat their inner extremities which receive the upper ends of dogs 11,which are pivoted therein. The upper extremities of the dogs 11 areexpanded to provide heads designed to be pressed upon when it isrequired to turn the dogs into a horizontal position to facilitate thedetachment of the traces from the device. These dogs 11 are weighted attheir lower ends and hang pendently from the extremities of the arms 6,and are limited in their outward movements by engagement with the bar 12common to the two rings 1 and located at the juncture thereof.Longitudinal recesses 13 are formed on the inner sides of the arms 6 forthe reception of the dogs 11 when the latter are turned into ahorizontal position when it is required to remove the trace fromengagement with the device. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 show the positionof the dogs when the latter are turned into a horizontal position andseated within the recesses 13.

The forward loop,4t,receives the back-strap, the rear loop, 2, thecrupper, and the box-loop 3 the hip-straps in the usual manner, as willbe readily understood. The cockeye 14 at the end of the trace or tug isadapted to be engaged with either of the arms by being slipped throughthe space occurring between the inner extremities of the said arms andby moving it laterally in the required direction.

Then it is desired to remove the cockeye from engagement with the saidarm the same can be effected by moving the cockeye toward the spacebetween the ends of the arms IOO and at the same time giving the cockeyea partial twist, When the desired result Will be attained.

By disposing the parts substantially in the manner herein set forth itis practically impossible for the traces after they have been properlyengaged With the device to become disconnected therefrom by the trottingof the horse or by other movements causing a flopping about of thetraces, and it Will be noticed that the structure is light and the partsthereof arranged to secure the best possible results.

The pattern may be varied according to the style of the harness forwhich the tracecarrier is designed. Therefore it is to be understoodthat in adapting the invention to the particular make of harness and tosuit the taste of the manufacturer various changes in the form,proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted towithout departing from the principle or sacrificing any of theadvantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is'claimed as new is 1. Atrace-carrier comprising two juxtaposed side rings arranged in the sameplane and having" their inner or adjacent sides merging into asingleconnecting-bar which lies in the'planeof the said side rings,overhanging arms extending at right angles to the said connecting-barand having connection' v'vith the outer portions of the side rings,

and dogs pivotally connected to the upper inner free ends of theoverhanging arms and adapted to engage at their lower ends with theopposite sides of the aforesaid connecting-bar, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. Atrace-carrier constructed substantially as herein set forth,comprising juxtaposed side rings having their inner or adjacent sidesmerging into a single connecting-bar, front and rear loops, guardsarranged intermediate of the side rings and the adjacent loops, abox-loop between the front loop and the said juxtaposed rings,overhanging arms extending at right angles to the aforesaidconnecting-bar and having attachment With the side rings at their outerportions, theinner ends of the said arms being notched and havinglongitudinal recesses in their inner or lower faces, and dogs pivoted tothe notched ends of the arms and adapted to fit snugly in thelongitudinal recesses thereof, and adapted to have their free endsengage with the opposite sides of the aforesaid connecting-bar,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presenceof two witnesses;

JOHN E. GILLILAND. FRANCIS A. NEVILL. WVitnesses:

DANIEL WEBsTE'R, J. H. CARVER.

